All flights at Shanghai's two main airports will be cancelled because of a typhoon, state media reported.

"Affected by Typhoon Bebinca, the traffic capacity of Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports has decreased today. From 8pm, all flights at both airports have been cancelled," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Shanghai authorities halted transportation links, recalled ships and shut tourism spots including the Disney Resort on Sunday as it braced for Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the financial hub since 1949.

The Category 1 typhoon, packing maximum sustained wind speeds near its centre of around 144 kilometres per hour, made landfall along China's eastern coast.

CCTV reported that Bebinca's maximum wind speed near the centre was 42 metres per second on landfall.

The strongest storm to make landfall in Shanghai in recent decades was Typhoon Gloria in 1949, which tore through the city with gusts of 144 kilometres per hour.

Shanghai was last threatened by a direct hit in 2022 by the powerful Typhoon Muifa, which instead landed 300 kilometres away in the city of Zhoushan, in Zhejiang Province. (Agencies)
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Last updated: 2024-09-16 HKT 09:32